‘Donations and extortion are not the same,’ road minister says in renewed explosive remarks

Staff Correspondent

Amid criticism after his comment, “Money is collected through compromise, not extortion on the road,” Roads Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has once again made explosive comments about extortion.

He said, “Extortion and extortion are not the same. Extortion is taken through trade unions. I called the transport owners and asked them whether they have to pay extortion or not, they said such incidents do not happen.”

The Roads Minister made this new comment in a recent interview with private television channel Samoyed TV.

However, there have been allegations that extortion on highways has increased after Road Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam’s comment that “money is collected through negotiations, not extortion on the roads.”

This time, workers and drivers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh to protest, demanding an end to the collection of excessive tolls from CNG-powered auto-rickshaws. The hour-long blockade caused a traffic jam for several kilometers on the highway.

In addition, there have been allegations of extortion and possession at the Laguna stand in Jatrabari, where a driver was beaten to death.